


Created Illusion

by colorBlip



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Beach City, Death, F/M, Major character death - Freeform, Multiple chapters, Steven Universe - Freeform, Steven returns, War, connie maheswaran - Freeform, connverse - Freeform, set 3 years after the finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26210281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colorBlip/pseuds/colorBlip
Summary: Steven returns to Beach City after 3 years. What he finds, and what he doesn’t find is not what he was expecting... at all.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	Created Illusion

After so many years, it was nice to finally return to the place he was raised. Steven has a smile on his face and his hands steady on the steering wheel as he cruised down a highway. He was so close, almost to Delmarva. 

He couldn’t wait to squeeze the gems, see his dad, hug Lion and Connie…

Things were better now. Everything was changing for the best. Steven still got his happily ever after, but it was just simply delayed. But that was in the past now. The future was bright. 

Since his departure, he’s talked to the gems plenty of times over video calls and had multiple conversations with Connie during her breaks. When he left, everything was calm for once. And as far as he knew, everything would be just how he left it when he got there. 

He’s driven here enough times to know that he was close. His exit off of the highway was coming up now, so he turned on his blinker to alert his road buddies that he was getting over. 

He proceeds forward, slowing the Dondai to prepare for the stop that was coming up. 

He peeped his head out the rolled down window and took a look around to take in the nostalgic surrounding of his home town. Where he fought many wars, made many memories and grew up with his diplomatic family.

But… 

Steven couldn’t help but notice the lack of people and tumbleweeds rolling by in the eerie winds that washed over the valley. 

Buildings were scarce and there weren’t the usual salesmen standing at the corner of the road anymore. No stores seemed to be open, homes looked abandoned and worn down and the only sound he could hear was the motor on his own car…

A cold shiver ran down his spine from the lack of socialization outside. Now growing concerned, Steven looks in his reverse mirror and sees the highway still going full speed forward. He was the only one who got off on this exit. 

“Did I make a wrong turn?...” 

He gets a GPS out on his phone and checks the map. 

He was definitely in the right place… 

The traffic light turned green, prompting him to keep going towards his destination. He shook his head, this was definitely in Beach City. Though it was worn down and he was almost certain that a war had taken place here while he was gone, there was still a certain familiarity to it. 

Maybe something really bad just happened right here… that doesn’t mean the rest of Beach City is like this. 

So he kept pedaling forward, only to find out that what he was hoping wasn’t true, in fact, was true. 

His face had an expression of devastation when he reached the most populated and common area of Beach City. Or, at least it used to be…

His round eyes lock on to one particular building that was in flames in the distance as he went on, head turning slowly as his car continued. 

Steven parks his car in the parking spaces in front of the entrance of the boardwalk and slowly gets out of the car. He cautiously looks around at the tragedy that was smoke, tumbleweeds and half-blown up buildings as far as his sight could make out. 

The sky was clouded with smoke and the air was thick and difficult to breath. Steven coughs, waving a hand in front of him to try and clear the air as he walks silently down the place he’d known as entertainment as a child.

With each step, he felt like he was becoming a nuisance with the noise that came from the creaky floorboards of the boardwalk. He approached an arcade game outside of the arcade that Mr. Smiley owned, and used a hand to wipe away the debris and dust that covered the screen. 

Steven looked at himself in his reflection, growing weary as an uneasy feeling suddenly weighed him down like a ton of bricks on his shoulders. 

He could really only hope the gems were okay. But this looks pretty bad, and if there were any survivors of what happened here, then they were at least badly injured or are in the midst of their misery. 

“ _ What happened?...”  _ he says shakily into the thick, cloudy excuse of air.

He turns around, taking in the sight once more. This wasn’t right. This  _ couldn’t be right.  _

What was he missing?

And then he hears a sound from somewhere in the distance. It sounded like someone - or  _ something  _ running. 

He tenses up, eyes darting in all different directions. Steven flexed his forearm, summoning his shield and backing away into the direction towards his car very cautiously. 

He began to sweat, trying not to make any sudden moves and focused his gaze on where he suspected his company might’ve been. 

Looking back, there was still such a long distance between him and the safety of the Dondai Supremo. He wasn’t very confident in running because any sudden movements could get him snatched up, or worse. 

Steven has to take things slow, but what if he was just buying the thing time to come and get him? 

“ _ I-if you’re out there,” _

He gulps.

“ _ Show yourself to me. I’m not afraid of you.”  _ The boy lies, mostly to himself. He didn’t even know if this thing was capable of speaking, let alone understand human words. 

Then as quick as a blink, Steven was snatched away. He couldn’t tell in what direction, by what, or where due to the smoke — but whatever it was had a death grip on the back of his jacket. 

He was screaming, flailing around and saying words he told himself he’d never say around anyone. His heartbeat was rapid and he felt light-headed from the fear. His captor wasn’t letting up on its grip, but eventually he was thrown to the ground.

Though he was practically eating dirt, he could feel someone watching him. Hovering over him. 

Steven slowly lifted his face out of the soil and turned on his back to see who captured him this time. 

A familiar, pink tip of a sword was pointed directly at his face. 

Steven’s eyes nervously trailed up the blade, past the golden, star shaped hilt and all the way to the handle and saw a human hand.  _ A familiar hand. _

“Why are you here? Why did you come here?!” The person yelled at him, voice interrogative.  _ A familiar voice.  _

Dumbfounded, Steven’s eyes are now the size of saucers. He looked at the person’s hostile, angry and a tinge of fearful face, then back at the blade that was this close to slicing his nose clean in halves. 

“ _ I said why the hell are you here?!”  _

“ _ Connie, I….” _

The girl freezes, and suddenly her weapon falls to the dirt. She stares flabbergasted at him and slowly begins backing away. 

“Wait, how?... How did-“ 

She shakes her head. She didn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t  _ want  _ to believe it.

_ Those illusionist gems are getting really smart now. They’ve never tried this one before.  _

“STOP! Go away,  _ get away from me. You’re just another one of them…”  _ Connie said tearfully, breaking down and falling to her knees as the soil became damp with her tears. 

Steven was still in shock. This had to be some kind of sick prank Amethyst conducted for his return, right?

Right?

“Connie. What’s going on? I need you to tell me,” he says cautiously, crawling over to the sobbing girl. 

“Shut up. I know you’re not him. He left a long time ago.  _ He’s never coming back…”  _ she said in between breaths, which weren’t very often since she was crying hysterically now. Steven didn’t know what to do. 

“What are you talking about ‘ _ another one of them’?  _ Is Beach City under attack? Connie, please! You have to tell me!” Steven begged, shaking Connie by the shoulders. 

Her hair was tied back in a messy Pom Pom on the back of her head, and she had bandaids and bruises all over her body. She was wearing what looked like torn bed sheets and they were really dirty from the dirt. Her sword needed a sharpening, but could still do some pretty bad damage if thrusted at the right angle. 

“ _ Please go away. Please please please. Please…”  _

Steven let go of her shoulders, seeing that she wasn’t going to let up. Whoever was holding then captive definitely was visually and mentally manipulative. Connie was in hysterics, begging and crying for him to leave her alone. 

He gave her some space. What could he do to make her trust him? What could he say?

….

….

“ _ The Sun is bright, our shirts are clean, we’re sitting up above the sea,“  _

Connie’s crying halted. 

She started at him wide eyed. Steven did the same. 

“ _ Steven _ ?...”

The boy nodded, getting watery eyes of his own and opened his arms to invite her into a hug. 

“It’s me, your jam bud,” 

——————————————————————-

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comment lol


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